The New Zealand Herald AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1944 INFLUENCES OF QUEBEC

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24969, 11 August 1944, Page 4

The New Zealand Herald AUCKLAND, FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1944 INFLUENCES OF QUEBEC

Because of their generally unfortunates influence on the Commonwealth and foreign policy of Canada, the politics of Quebec concern the Empire as a whole, and to some extent those other nations which look to the Empire to speak with a united voice. The return of the Union Rationale as the governing parly in the Province of Quebec will fortify Mr Mackenzie King in his abstention from the closer co-opera-tion of Britain and the Dominions advocated by Mr Curtin and General Smuts at the recent Imperial Conference. Quebec enjoys the right to a fixed representation of G5 seats in the House of Commons, or a little more than a quarter of the membership. This almost solid block is a thorn in the side of any Government, and its defection would embarrass Mr King in spite of his record majority. Thus he must trim his sails to the winds of Quebec. The results of the new election there arc stated to be so indecisive that another election is predicted, but they indicate a marked change in opinion since the last election in October, 1939. Then Mr Duplessis with his Union Nationale suffered an ignominious defeat. As the Government of the day, he went to the electors in opposition to Canada's unlimited participation in the war, and as the champion of French Canada's greater autonomy. To their credit, eminent French Canadians in the Federal Parliament took a stand against him, and their opinion was endorsed by the Quebec electorate. The Union Nationale strength was reduced from 73 members to 15, and the Liberals, under Mr Godbout, assumed office with G8 seats, 54 more than they had in the previous Legislature. In this week's election, Mr Duplessis has won 46 seats, a majority of one over all other parties. The Liberals this time could secure the return of only 38 members.

Mr Godbout owes the downfall of his administration to his attempts to co-operate with the Federal Government., and possibly also to a display of atrocious rail-sitting. In April, Canada conducted a national plebiscite on the issue of conscription for overseas service. The result was a four to one affirmative vote in the eight Provinces other than Quebec, and a 72 to 28 negative vote in Quebec. The day before the poll, two were brought before the Provincial Legislature which obviously represented manoeuvres for positions in the forthcoming election. The first resolution expressed Quebec's "unyielding disapproval" of the despatch of conscripted recruits overseas. It was carried by 55 votes to 4. The second resolution was passed almost immediately afterward without debate. It "expressed admiration for Canada's fighting men," and assured them that "on their return they will obtain the necessary help and aid to live decently in civil life." Accused by Mr Duplessis of betraying Quebec by sponsoring a form of conscription in violation of the Province's historic attitude of non-co-operation in outside affairs, Mr Godbout and most of his followers tamely voted for both resolutions. This was the same Mr Godbout who, in June, 1911, had said: "You will find very few people who do not realise wtFrench Canadians are treated better under the British Crown than we would have been under our Mother Country, France. We are as British as anyone." Although only a few of the extremists in Quebec advocate the conversion of the Province into an independent nation, there are many influential men who regard it as inevitable. They use their power to direct Quebec on this course. The words of Cardinal Villeneuve, written in 1922, are the semi-official text of the group. "We are not hurrying toward separation," he wrote. "We watch it coming, for it is coming toward us. That a French Catholic State can during this century arise in the St. Lawrence Valley is no longer in the minds of many a pure Utopia, but an ideal worthy of ambition." This is in contrast to earlier teachings, especially by the Church, all of which emphasised the beneficence of the ties with the British, and how fortunate Quebec had been to escape the consequences of the French and American revolutions. But since the days of Cartier, who fought hard for the confederation of the Provinces, and Laurier, who supported it, there has risen a form of nationalism which sees only bondage and tribute in the common allegiance to the British Crown. Nationalism is the cure for all political and economic ills. Where other Provinces and States turn to radicalism, Quebec flies to nationalism which, among other things, seeks to exercise a veto over any Canadian policies unacceptable to it.

CLEARING THE GROUND The Government should heed the plea of Mr K. J. Holyoake, M.P., for a clear and concise statement of its proposals for the allocation of the increased food prices awarded in the trade agreement with Britain. It is essential that the farmers should know as soon as possible where they stand.| if a satisfactory answer to their questionings can be given, tlio value of the agreement to both' Britain and New Zealand will be greatly enhanced. Britain's chief immediate interest is to promote a higher output of dairy produce and meat. Her motives are domestic and international—to maintain the British people's rations at existing (and, to us, low) levels and to reduce her dependence on imports from Argentina. There should be no need to emphasise New Zealand's interest in boosting production at the attractive level of prices fixed for dairy produce and expected to bo fixed for meat. As well as an incentive to raise output, the fouryear contracts are also designed, according to Mr Nash and Mr Sullivan, to enable fanners to plan their opertilions in advance. They should be able to proceed with confidence. That essential ingredient will, however, be lacking until the Govern-

menfc informs the farmers of the terms on which they are expected to work. The current season has just opened, but even at this date a firm announcement .would influence production programmes and encourage farmers to plan for the three subsequent seasons. They should be told the class and amount of subsidies the Government proposes to charge against the lump sum payments and against their own stabilisation accounts, and the estimated balances to be left in these accounts. They should also be informed what benefit, if any,- (hey may expect to receive immediately from the increased prices as cost allowances and production incentives. The Government should not seek excuses in negotiations yet to be completed with the British Government, and between farmers and the Stabilisation Commission. To unfold its own proposals will advance the interests of all parties, hero and in Britain. CHINA'S STRUGGLE As the American forces move in from the Pacific toward the China Sea, the Japanese are exerting their main strength to take a firmer hold on the Chinese coast and its hinterland. Their aim is defensive—to deny continental ports and bases to the attackers. The coast of China bulges into the Pacific like the arc of a circle. The chord joining the northern and southern ends of the arc is the backbone railway, 1000 miles long, running from Peking through Hankow to Canton. The importance of that line to the Japanese in moving forces to defend the long coastline is obvious. Four months ago they began a campaign to gain complete control of it. First they cleared tho northern section, and now, by the capture of Hengyang after a grim six weeks' struggle, are well on the way to seizing control of the southern section. Chungking takes a realistic view in regarding their success as thq most serious blow to China since the fall of Hankow and Canton in 1938. The Chinese can take consolation from the valour and tenacity with which their soldiers defended Hengyang, and Changsha before it. Moreover they can find solid grounds for optimism in the steady progress made by their own forces pushing eastward from Yunnan into Burma to join with General Stilwell's army driving southward from Assam. The aim of tho two columns is to effect a junction at Bhamo, thus opening the Ledo-Burtna Road route to Chungking. If they have progressed so far in the monsoon season, success can hardly be denied thein when the lowering clouds lift within the next two months.